Flight management display

ABSTRACT

Pilot-oriented information is displayed on the screen of a cathode ray tube by electronically generated symbols superimposed on a simulated or real-world picture. The symbology uses as one datum a fixed airplane symbol and locates therefrom the airplane&#39;&#39;s degree of pitch, degree of roll, and the horizon. In addition, symbols are provided to indicate the relative position of the airplane with respect to ILS localizer and glide slope signals, pitch and roll commands obtained from an on-board flight director computer, a desired pitch reference, and actual as well as potential flight path angle. Deviation from a preset airspeed and radio or radar altitude are also shown. In all cases, the symbols are constructed by symbol generators from one or more basis rectangles, whose width is determined by a pulse of appropriate length during the CRT&#39;&#39;s horizontal scanning period, and whose height is determined by a similar pulse during the vertical scanning period. The location of each rectangle is determined by the delay between the start of the vertical or horizontal scanning period, and the start of the vertical or horizontal pulse. Modifications are described for generating rotating symbols. The outputs of the symbol generators are combined as a priority circuit and converted into a composite video signal by a video mixer.

States Patent Gannett et al.

[ 51 June 6,1972

[54] FLIGHT MANAGEMENT DISPLAY [72] Inventors: James R. Gannett,Redmond; Gordon D. Annin, Bellevue; Bradley K. Gjerding, Seattle, all ofWash.

[73] Assignee: The Boeing Company, Seattle, Wash.

[22] Filed: May 21, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 39,370

Primary ExaminerRalph D. Blakeslee AttorneyChristensen, Sanbom &Matthews [57] ABSTRACT Pilot-oriented information is displayed on thescreen of a cathode ray tube by electronically generated symbolssuperimposed on a simulated or real-world picture. The symbology uses asone datum a fixed airplane symbol and locates therefrom the airplanesdegree of pitch, degree of roll. and the horizon. In addition, symbolsare provided to indicate the relative position of the airplane withrespect to lLS localizer and glide slope signals, pitch and rollcommands obtained from an on-board flight director computer, a desiredpitch reference, and actual as well as potential flight path angle.Deviation from a preset airspeed and radio or radar altitude are alsoshown. In all cases, the symbols are constructed by symbol generatorsfrom one or more basis rectangles, whose width is determined by a pulseof appropriate length during the CRTs horizontal scanning period, andwhose height is determined by a similar pulse during the verticalscanning period. The location of each rectangle is determined by thedelay between the start of the vertical or horizontal scanning period,and the start of the vertical or horizontal pulse. Modifications aredescribed for generating rotating symbols. The outputs of the symbolgenerators are combined as a priority circuit and converted into acomposite video signal by a video mixer.

19 Claims, 33 Drawing Figures NUM ERS +5 ITCH LINE ERROR P J j /0 PITCHLl/YE FLIGHT PAT/l i ANGLE P/ TCH REFERENCE L [NE PATENTEDJUH 6 I972 saw03 [1F 2 INVENTORS' JAMES R G/IIY/YETT GORDON .D. ANN/N BY BRADLEY A.G'JEFD/NG --.---T.'L L

ART/F/C/AL HORIZON IIIInIIIn INVENTORS JAMES A? GAME 7'7 GORDON l).A/Y/V/N BY BRADLEY K GJERD/IYG PATENTEDJHH 6 I972 SHEET us 0F 23PAIENTEDJUH 6 I972 IVE GREF

SHEET 08 0F 23 OUTPUT 7 TI, V65 Z L EPL 6 F L, 65' 6 FL INVENTORS JAMESR GAN/VETT GORDON .D. AWN/N BY BRADLEY K GJEAD/NG

1. A system for providing an integratEd display of flight informationobtained from a plurality of sensors and controls which are disposed onan aircraft and which supply information signals representative of aplurality of flight parameters, comprising: a. means providingsynchronizing pulses; b. a plurality of symbol generators having asinputs thereto said synchronizing pulses, one of said symbol generatorsconverting said synchronizing pulses into an output pulse whose timingand duration is related thereto and which defines the location and sizeof a reference symbol with which the remaining symbols are to bevisually compared, the remaining of said symbol generators additionallyhaving as an input thereto at least one of the information signals fromsaid plurality of sensors and controls and accordingly converting saidsynchronizing pulses and said information signal into an output pulsewhose timing and duration is related to said synchronizing pulses andwhich defines the location and size of a symbol corresponding to aflight parameter; c. a priority means including means combining saidplurality of output pulses into various groups corresponding to desiredsymbol shading, and further including gating means coupling one of saidcombined pulses to its output in accordance with a schedule determiningpriority of symbol display; and d. a mixing means converting the outputpulse from said priority circuit into a voltage whose magnitude isproportional to the desired symbol shading, and including meansamplitude modulating said synchronizing pulses in response to saidvoltage to produce a composite video signal suitable for reproduction ona conventional television receiver.
 2. A system as recited in claim 1,further comprising: a. mode control means producing a plurality ofcontrol signals which are representative of symbols to be actuallydisplayed, and b. a second gating means which is connected between saidcombining means of said priority means and the output pulses from saidplurality of symbol generators, said second gating means having alsoconnected thereto said plurality of control signals from said modecontrol means and operative to pass those of said output pulses whichcorrespond to the symbols to be displayed.
 3. A system as recited inclaim 1, further comprising: a. means producing a real world signalrepresenting an image of an area adjacent the aircraft, and b. meanswithin said mixing means for combining said real world signal with saidvoltage to produce said composite video signal.
 4. A system as recitedin claim 1 wherein: a. said synchronizing pulses include vertical drivepulses and horizontal drive pulses defining, respectively, the relativetiming and duration of desired vertical and horizontal scanningintervals of a standard television picture frame, b. each of saidsymbols comprises one or more rectangular units defined by one of saidoutput pulses, and c. each of said symbol generators comprises meansproducing a horizontal size-defining pulse whose duration defines thehorizontal extent, when reproduced, of the rectangular units comprisingeach symbol and whose timing relative to that of said horizontal drivepulse determines the horizontal location thereof, means producing avertical size-defining pulse whose duration defines the vertical extent,when reproduced, of the rectangular units comprising each symbol andwhose timing relative to that of said vertical drive pulse determinesthe vertical location thereof, and means combining said vertical andsaid horizontal size-defining pulses to produce said output pulse fromsaid symbol generator.
 5. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein thereference symbol generated by the first-mentioned symbol generatorcomprises an aircraft replica, and wherein said first-mentioned symbolgenerator further comprises: a. a digital counter clocked by saidhorizontal drive pulses and reset by said vertical drive pulses, saidcounter producing a series of pulses whose timing relatiVe to saidvertical drive pulse defines the vertical dimensions of said replica, b.means producing from said horizontal drive pulses a plurality of pulseswhich are successively delayed therefrom to define the horizontaldimensions of said replica, and c. means combining the pulses from saiddigital counter and from said delaying means to produce said outputpulse from said first-mentioned symbol generator.
 6. A system as recitedin claim 4 wherein one of said flight parameter symbols comprises arectangle denoting permissible limits of the aircraft''s flight pathwith respect to ILS localizer deviation and glide slope deviationsignals obtained from an ILS receiver, and wherein one of said symbolgenerators comprises: a. a first means connected to said horizontaldrive pulse and the localizer deviation signal and producing therefrom apulse whose timing relative to said horizontal drive pulse is varied inproportion to said localizer deviation signal, b. a second meansconnected to said vertical drive pulse and to the glide slope deviationsignal and producing therefrom a pulse whose timing relative to saidvertical drive pulse is varied in proportion to said glide slopedeviation signal, c. means having the pulse from said first meansconnected thereto and producing therefrom a plurality of pulses whichare successively delayed therefrom so as to define the horizontaldimensions of the rectangle, d. means having connected thereto the pulsefrom said second means and producing therefrom a plurality of pulseswhich are successively delayed therefrom to define the verticaldimensions of the rectangle, and e. gating means combining the pluralityof successively delayed pulses to form said output pulse from saidsymbol generator.
 7. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein one of saidflight parameter symbols comprises first and second rectangles denoting,respectively, the outputs of a flight director computer which providespitch and roll command signals, and wherein one of said symbolgenerators comprises: a. first means connected to said vertical drivepulse and to the pitch command signal for producing a pulse whose timingrelative to said vertical drive pulse is varied in proportion to saidpitch command signal, b. second means connected to said horizontal drivepulse and to the roll command signal for producing therefrom a pulsewhose timing relative to said horizontal drive pulse is varied inproportion to said roll command signal, c. means producing from saidhorizontal drive signal first and second pulses which are successivelydelayed therefrom, d. means producing from said vertical drive pulsethird and fourth pulses which are successively delayed therefrom, and e.gating means combining said first, second, third and fourth pulses andsaid plurality of pulses from said first and second means to producesaid output pulse from said symbol generator.
 8. A system as recited inclaim 4 wherein one of said flight parameter symbols comprises first andsecond rectangles, the first rectangle remaining fixed with relation tosaid reference symbol and the other rectangle varying in size andposition in accordance with the information content of a speed errorsignal and wherein one of said symbol generators comprises: a. meansconnected to said vertical drive pulse for producing a first pulse whosetiming and duration relative thereto determines the vertical extent ofthe first rectangle, b. means connected to said vertical drive pulse andto the speed error signal and producing therefrom a pulse whose timingand duration relative to said vertical drive pulse is varied inproportion to said speed error signal to determine the vertical extentof the second rectangle, c. storage means having said first and secondpulses connected thereto and producing a pulse therefrom as long as oneof said input pulses is being produced, and d. means having saidhorizontal drive pulse connected thereto And producing therefrom a pulsewhich is delayed to define the horizontal dimensions of the first andsecond rectangles, and means combining this pulse with the output ofsaid storage means to form said output pulse from said symbol generator.9. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein one of said flight parametersymbols comprises a plurality of rectangles whose selective displayrepresents the information signal from an altitude sensor, wherein oneof said symbol generators comprises: a. a converter means producing fromthe output signal a corresponding digital signal embodying the altitudeinformation, b. a digital counter which is clocked by said horizontaldrive pulses and reset by said vertical drive pulse, said counterproducing a series of pulses whose timing relative to said verticaldrive pulse defines the vertical dimensions, when reproduced, of therectangles, c. means providing from each of said horizontal drive pulsesa plurality of pulses which are successively delayed therefrom to definethe horizontal dimensions of the rectangles, and d. gating meansselectively combining said pulses from said delay means and said digitalcounter in accordance with the altitude information content of saiddigital signal to thereby produce said output pulse from said symbolgenerator.
 10. A system as recited in claim 9, further comprising meanscoupled to said horizontal drive pulses and to said vertical drive pulseand producing therefrom a pulse whose timing relative to each of saidhorizontal drive pulses is varied in proportion to said vertical drivepulse, said pulse being coupled to said delaying means in place of saidhorizontal drive signal so that the vertical dimensions of therectangles slant, when reproduced.
 11. A system as recited in claim 9wherein the flight parameter symbol further includes a backgroundrectangle when displayed, and wherein said symbol generator furthercomprises: a. first means delaying said horizontal drive pulse toproduce a pulse defining the horizontal dimensions of said rectangle, b.second means delaying said vertical drive pulse to produce a pulsedefining the vertical dimensions of said rectangle, c. means providingan output signal when the information content of the altitude signal isless than a predetermined, minimum value, d. flasher means actuated inresponse to said output signal from said comparing means to provide aseries of pulses occurring at a regular rate, and e. means combining thepulses from said first and second means and from said flasher means toproduce said output pulse from said symbol generator.
 12. A system asrecited in claim 1 wherein one of the sensors provides an informationsignal proportional to roll attitude of the aircraft, and wherein saidplurality of remaining symbol generators are divided into two groups,those of said first group providing output pulses defining symbols whichrotate with changes in the roll attitude, and those of said second groupproviding output pulses defining symbols which do not so rotate.
 13. Asystem as recited in claim 12 wherein: a. said plurality ofsynchronizing pulses include a plurality of vertical drive pulses andhorizontal drive pulses defining, respectively, the relative timing andduration of the desired vertical and horizontal scanning intervals of astandard television picture frame, b. each of said symbols comprises oneor more rectangular units defined by one of said output pulses, c. meansproducing first and second signals, respectively, proportional to thecosine and sine of the roll attitude signal, d. a composite sawtoothwaveform signal generator including i. means producing a sawtoothwaveform every horizontal drive pulse whose amplitude is controlled bysaid first signal, ii. means producing a sawtooth waveform everyvertical drive pulse whose amplitude is controlled by said secondsignal, iii. means combining said first and second sawtooth waveforms toprodUce a horizontal composite waveform signal, iv. means producing asawtooth waveform every horizontal drive pulse whose amplitude iscontrolled by said second signal, v. means producing a sawtooth waveformevery vertical drive pulse whose amplitude is controlled by said firstsignal, and vi. means combining said third and fourth sawtooth waveformsto produce a vertical composite waveform signal, e. each of said symbolgenerators in said first group comprises means producing a horizontalsize-defining pulse whose duration defines the horizontal extent, whenreproduced, of the rectangular units comprising each symbol and whosetiming relative to that of said horizontal composite waveform signaldetermines the horizontal location thereof, means producing a verticalsize-defining pulse whose duration defines the vertical extent, whenreproduced, of the rectangular units comprising each symbol and whosetiming relative to that of said vertical composite waveform signaldetermines the vertical location thereof, and means combining saidvertical and said horizontal size-defining pulses to produce said outputpulse from said generator.
 14. A system as recited in claim 13 whereinone of said flight parameter symbols comprises a rectangle denoting rollattitude and wherein one of said symbol generators in said first groupcomprises: a. first means producing said vertical size-defining pulsethroughout a predetermined range of values of said vertical compositewaveform signal, and b. second means producing said horizontalsize-defining pulse throughout a predetermined range of values of saidhorizontal composite waveform signal.
 15. A system as recited in claim13 wherein: a. one of the sensors provides a signal proportional topitch attitude of the aircraft, b. said plurality of symbol generatorsin said first group provide output pulses defining symbols which arevertically shifted, when reproduced, with changes in pitch attitude, andc. said composite sawtooth waveform generator further comprises meanslevel-shifting said vertical composite waveform signal in response tothe pitch attitude signal.
 16. A system as recited in claim 15 whereinone of said flight parameter symbols comprises a plurality ofhorizontally extending lines which are vertically spaced in incrementsof pitch attitude and wherein one of said symbol generators comprises: afirst means producing a plurality of horizontal size-defining pulsesduring corresponding, predetermined ranges of said horizontal compositewaveform signal, and b. second means producing a plurality of verticalsize-defining pulses during corresponding, predetermined ranges of saidlevel-shifted, vertical composite waveform signal.
 17. A system asrecited in claim 15 wherein one of said flight parameter symbolscomprises a rectangle whose vertical displacement from said referencesymbol, when reproduced, indicates the relative flight path angle of theaircraft, wherein a corresponding signal is provided from a flight pathangle sensor, and a modification signal from a drift angle sensor, andwherein one of said symbol generators comprises: a. first means summingsaid level-shifted, vertical composite waveform signal with the outputof the flight path angle sensor, b. second means summing said horizontalcomposite waveform signal with the output of the drift angle sensor, c.first means producing said vertical size-defining pulse throughout apredetermined range of values of the output signal from said firstsumming means, and d. second means producing said horizontalsize-defining pulse throughout a predetermined range of values of theoutput from said second summing means.
 18. A system as recited in claim17 wherein another of said flight parameter symbols comprises arectangle whose vertical displacement from said reference symbol, whenreproduced, indicates the potential flight path angle of the aircraft,wherein a sensor is provided which furnishes an output Signalrepresentative of aircraft acceleration, and wherein said symbolgenerator further comprises: a. means producing a reference signal, b.third means summing said reference signal, the output of theacceleration sensor, and the output of said first summing means, meansproducing said vertical size-defining pulse for the potential flightpath angle symbol throughout a predetermined range of values of theoutput from said third summing means, and d. means producing saidhorizontal size-defining pulse for the potential flight path anglesymbol throughout a predetermined range of values of the output fromsaid second summing means.
 19. An apparatus for providing relevantflight information to a pilot during landing maneuvers of an aircraft,comprising: a. means scanning the area preceding the aircraft andproviding a corresponding output signal, b. means sensing accelerationof the aircraft along its flight path and providing an output signalproportional thereto, c. means sensing the angle of the aircraft''sflight path relative to the horizon and providing an output signalproportional thereto, d. means sensing the pitch attitude of theaircraft relative to the horizon and providing an output signalproportional thereto, e. means providing an output signal from saidpitch attitude output signal which defines the relative position of thehorizon, f. means summing the output signals from said accelerationsensing means and said flight path angle sensing means to provide anoutput signal which defines the relative position of the aircraft''spotential flight path angle, g. a display means, and h. means couplingthe output signal from said scanning means, the output signal from saidflight path angle sensing means, and the output signal from said summingmeans to said display means so that indication is made thereby of therelative position of the horizon, the aircraft''s flight path angle, andthe aircraft''s potential flight path angle, said indications beingdisplayed in a 1:1 relationship with a reproduction of the areapreceding the aircraft.